Pin guard for trailer hitches



June 5, 1923.

.G. H. PRESCETT PIN GUARD FOR TRAILER BITCHES Filed Nov. 30 1921 GeocgieH. Prescetl.

m wwmu mat? Patented June 5, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFICB,

GEORGE E. PRESCETT, or OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA;

PIN GUARD roe TRAILER EMEITCHES.

Application ma November 30, 192i. Serial no. 518,830,

T 0' all whom a may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE H. Pnnsonr'r,

a citizen of the United States, residing at the pins from being lost orsurreptitiously removed, but may be unlocked with a key by the properpersons to remove said pins to disconnect the hitch when so desired.

Referring to the annexed drawing in which my invention is illustratedand which forms a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a trailer hitch showing a trailer hitchedthereby to an auto mobile, and my guard looked over the hitch plns.

Figure 2 is a side view of thehitch and;

member of the fork 4 so that it normally" rests on said upper side of(said upper. fork my guard locked over the hitch pins.

' Figure 3 is a plan view of the hitch partly broken away, showing'thehitch pins in section.

bile chassis taken on line 44 of Figure 1.

A trailer hitch as shown in the drawing includes a forked member 1 and atongue member 2. The forked member 1 is constructed with a short bar 3,a fork 4: extend" ing from the rear end of said bar, and a shank 5extending from the forward end of said bar. The bar. 3 extends throughthe rear member of an automobile chassis 6 and through a V-shaped bar 7midway of the end of said bar, which bar extends transversely.

. bolts 9 between which extends the forward end of the shank 5.The'hitch member 1-,

' has a shoulder 10 at the juncture'of the bar 3 and fork 4a A spring-11surrounds the shank 5 between the forward side of the ,V- bar 7 and acollar 12vsecured on the shank, which spring normally holds the hitchmember 1 in its forward position with the shoulder 10 engaging the rearmember of the Figure 1 is a cross'section of the automo-" chassis. Theiinembers of' the fork 4 are is superimposed and have pin holes 13 and14.

The hitchmember2'is-constructed with a shank 15 andwith a fork 16projecting-rearwardl'y from said shank, which forkstrad-a dles a tongue17 on the front of'th'etr'ailer r and is secured to said tongue by bolts18.

A hinge member 19 is hinged to the forward 1 I end of shank15 by ahingepin 20 and has a 6s pin hole22 near its forward end. The hinge i rlongit'udinaljslot 21. The shank '15 has a member19 andshank 15 extendbetween the members ofifork 4. 7 Aaecouplingipin-23 extendsthrough thepinholes 14 in the meme 7 a v I shank 15. A coupling pin 24: extendsbers of fork 4 and the pin hole 22""in the through the pin holes 13 inthe members of;

fork 4 and the slot 21. .v My pm-guard comprises a strip 25, pressedupwardly into arches 26 and 27 of'metal i and provided with a transverseslot 28 at one end, the other end thereof being hinged by a hinge 2 9 tothe upper side .of the upper i the slot 28, The guardis locked inposition by a lock31 which is extended through the staple 30. The arches26 and 27 prevent the pins2 1 and 25 from coming out of'place.

Having described my invention, I claim; w

1; In combination with a trailer h.1tch,

pins on said hitch a" pin guard formed with a fiat body and mounted onsaid bitch to" P Q th COupling pins thereof from com- 2. In combinationtrailer hitch, pinsion said hitch a' pin guard formed with two arches,and meansfor locking said guard on the 'hitchwith said arches over :theheads of the pins.

, 3. In combination with a trailer hitch, v f pinson sald hitcha stapleon said hitch, pin guard formed with two arches and a slot at one end,the other end'of the guard being hinged to the hitch so that said archesrest over the heads of the pins, and said staple projects through saidslot, and a 'lock extended through ,saidstaple to lockthe guard inposition on the hitch over said p1ns., I y

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. GEORGE PRESCETT.

